The Best of 2015: What America Ate, Drank, & Saw

Here's the best of 2015, according to YOU! What America ate, drank, and saw this year…

Best of 2015: The Year in Review!

How was 2015 for you? I'm sure you've had milestones, lessons and the whole nine yards. But are you at the least bit curious of what America ate, drank and saw? Well, I am a tad bit curious. If you share the same curiosity as I have, let's see the biggest moments of this great country. From food crazes to drinks down to church attendance, here are a few facts broken down month by month.

Special thanks to Foursquare for sifting through all the data to give us this informative recap, and the best of 2015!

2015: What America Ate, Drank and Saw

January

• 2015 started the food truck craze in decline. -21% visits to food trucks when compared to January 2014.
• And Poke on the rise—Where to go: Big Daddy's Poke Shack in Venice, CA. Foursquare Tip: Have your ahi tuna poke with extra avocado!

February

• Patriots beat Seattle Seahawks
• Does fan spirit lead to big wins? New England fans went out (shopping/eating) 48% more than usaual. While Washington went out just 4% more than usual.
• 192% jump in year-over-year visits to Bubble Tea Shops. Big bump in February.

March

• Saturday, March 14th – The Saturday before St. Patrick's Day was the most popular day for bar visits across the country this year.
• It's springtime! A spike in mentions of burrata, avocado toast, and sculptures.

April

• Marijuana dispensaries received a surge of visits on, heh, heh, 4/20. Traffic doubled versus a normal Monday. Top-rated dispensary: Uncle Ike's, Seattle. Foursquare Tip: Ask the “super helpful staff” for the OG Chem nad Golden Pineapple strains.
• Greek Yogurt – April was the biggest month for the dairy treat.

May

• The banner year for Cold-Brew Coffee starts now. Mentions up by 148%. Top new spot to open in 2015: Short Grain, Jersey City. Foursquare Tip: As everyone says, the Vietnamese cold brew is amazing.

June

• People learn to love Affogato. An Italian coffee dessert that was most notably added to the menu at Sightglass Coffee, in SF. Mentions in the U.S. are up 95%.

BTW – If you're wondering what affogato is,  just imagine fresh vanilla ice cream covered in even fresher espresso. YUM!

• June is the beginning of the fried chicken sandwich phenomenon with a 80% increase in chatter about the trendy dish.

July

• Summer Travel – 3 beaches that surged in popularity…
  • Rehoboth Beach, DE  +217% – This gay-friendly beach has a celebratory summer.
  • Jacob Riis Park, Rockaway Park, NY +142% – New concessions overseen by Brooklyn Night Bazaar lured the hipster crowd.
  • Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, San Diego, CA +84% – Cliff diving and epic sunsets drove visits—plus a police crackdown on illegal jumping.

August

• 147 New Distilleries opened in 2015 – Try the top-rated Tattersall Distilling in Minneapolis, for its 11 types of liquor.

September

• The week before Pope Francis visits the U.S. church attendance surges by 20%.
• 173% increase in mentions of Gel Manicures especially during the back-to-school month of September.

October

• Matcha – The trend is now focused in NY and SF and is predicted to spread in 2016.
• Egg sandwiches for dinner? McDonald's launches All Day Breakfast and the term takes off. It's mentioned 555% more this year than last.

November

• Wednesday, November 25th – Pre-Game Wednesday (noun): 1. The day before Thanksgiving-noted by Foursquare as the most popular Wednesday of the year for going out—is a night in which friends, relatives, and people you put up with descend on a place of significance and drink with verve and enthusiasm.
• This year, Pre-Game Wednesday saw a 59% increase in bar visits over the previous Wednesday.

December

• We predict Latin American Tastes to be big news in 2016.
• Why? Because mentions of Latin food staples—such as cocoa and coconut milk—more than double this year….
• And visits to Caribbean, Cuban, and Peruvian Restaurants went up in 2015.

So what do you think about The best of 2015? Have you been part of any of the craze? Let us know below in the comments! 🙂

Need more time to reflect on the year that has been?

Start here: Realistic Year-End Reflections, From One Homesteader To Another